Victor continues around the Four Counties - Declining maintenance

Declining maintenance

There has been quite an amount of comment recently about the declining amount of maintenance that is taking place year upon year, and I often wonder if this is partly due to the vast increase of the cost of, say, replacing lock gates.

It was being on Heartbreak Hill that reminded me when we first worked these locks there was a green-jacketed British Waterways crew replacing one of the twin lock gates on a drained lock, that simply had a steel RSJ supported on 'A' frames with a pair of pull-lifts supporting the gate. Access into the lock was by ladders. There was a simple fence around the workings and a work boat nearby with facilities.

Compare that with today's health and safety regimented working.  First of all a facilities cabin has to be brought in.  Double rigid fencing surrounding the working area. A proper 'staircase' into the lock—with of course safety railings all round, then a crane to handle the gates. Pictured is an example of today's working.

Then when all is done, everything is taken away. This means that a job previously lasting a few days now stretches into over a week, multiplying the cost, resulting in only a fraction of the maintenance being accomplished for the same spend.

Gates replaced

This is obviously the reason for the present state of the locks, but I see there have been a couple of locks with their gates replaced on Heartbreak Hill, and as I mentioned the last time I was this-a-way, those lock beams near the up-market Church Lawton were still very nicely painted, something alas that does not extend to either locks or railings in the 'sticks', that get no visitors.

Alas there are still too many broken paddles 'missed' by the winter maintenance, with the state of the covering of the one in the picture clearly showing it had been in its sorry state for many a month.  The problem is that leaving only one working paddle means that should that fail, then it is yet another stoppage that will he foisted upon the long suffering boater.

Coir rolls

I see the many coir rolls that were installed along many parts of the Four Counties have gone the way of all flesh.  These we were told would grow weeds that would encourage insects, though as I have mentioned previously, the waterways are surrounded by endless vegetation already.  But I did not notice any that had actually served their purpose, with a couple leaving rather dangerous spikes sticking out of the water.  Yet another money-wasting scheme.

Eventually Heartbreak Hill was conquered yet again, and into Harecastle Tunnel. But things have changed since the steerer fell from his traditional stern boat and drowned, for we had a more extensive leaflet handed to us as well as a talk from the tunnel keeper, and an urge to get boaters to wear life jackets.